On Wednesday, September 18, the Public Campaign Financing Commission held a public hearing in Albany to discuss the possibility of implementing a controversial and potentially unconstitutional practice of public financing for campaigns in New York. Assemblyman Robert Smullen (R,C,Ref-Meco) will oppose any effort to force taxpayers to fund the campaigns of candidates who may not represent their interests.

“I understand the desire to get new people involved in politics, but strong-arming our already over-burdened taxpayers to foot the bill for political campaigns is not the solution,” said Smullen. “Our taxes are already too high, and if candidates can’t generate enough support from the constituents they want to represent, they probably should pursue another line of work. Once we create a state-level campaign finance system, you can be sure taxpayers will get fleeced for more money as the cost of supporting the new bureaucracy will continue to rise.”